They lack Urgency.

Great teams don’t take nights off. The Flyers have already called out of three contests this postseason. It’s become painfully obvious the Flyers need a reason to play at their very best, because “winning” apparently isn’t cutting it.

Against the Penguins in Round 1, the Flyers had years of hatred and disdain pushing them to greatness. Watching 90% of the “experts” pick the Penguins to dispose of the Flyers and reach the Stanley Cup Finals certainly helped, too. On top of that, the Flyers (and their fans) sincerely despise Sidney Crosby. The opportunity to send the Penguins home early from the playoffs was all the motivation the Flyers needed to elevate their game.

Then, after the Flyers had pummeled the Penguins into submission and grabbed a 3-0 series lead, the Flyers lost interest. They had proved they were the better team. The Penguins were groveling for mercy. The Flyers needed a new challenge. What the Flyers forgot, though, is you can’t take days off in the playoffs. As a result of the Flyers lack of urgency, the Penguins battled back to force a critical Game 6 in Philadelphia. The stakes were raised again. The Flyers had a reason to play. Urgency returned and the Flyers crushed the Penguins.

Fast-forward to Sunday’s victory against the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was obvious the Flyers were missing the same urgency they showed in Game 6 against Pittsburgh. The Devils came out sharp, controlled the puck and took a 1-0 lead into the 1^st intermission. Again, the Flyers found themselves up against the wall. Urgency returned, the Flyers battled aggressively for the next 40 minutes of regulation before dominating overtime and getting the victory on Danny Briere’s rocket from just inside the blue line.

In Game 2, the Flyers maintained that same intensity and urgency that won them Game 1 and jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Flyers had control, the Devils looked overmatched. Urgency was now gone. Thus, the Flyers mustered only two shots in the second period and blew a 1-0 3^rd period lead by surrendering three goals in the first 15 minutes of the final period. Only then did the Flyers ratchet up their level of play. Only then did the urgency that flustered the Pittsburgh Penguins… that won the Flyers Game 1… that handed the Flyers an early 1-0 lead in Game 2… return. But by then it was too late. An empty net goal sealed Philadelphia’s fate before their inspired play could produce results.

Teams that survive the NHL Playoffs and hoist the Stanley Cup in early June are rarely the most talented team in the tournament. The Stanley Cup Champion is the team that wanted it most, the team that played every second of every minute of every game of every series as if it were overtime of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Playing with a sense of urgency on a nightly basis doesn’t always equal winning. It’s about desire, effort, and intensity.

Right now, the New York Rangers play with that intensity. The Los Angeles Kings and Mike Richards play with that intensity. The Phoenix Coyotes play with that intensity. Even Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals have played with that intensity throughout the playoffs. The Flyers have not, and until they maintain the necessary level of urgency to be the last team standing, they’ll continue to be a fun team to watch and a nice story, but not Stanley Cup champions.

After the Flyers eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins a week ago, the Flyers could have found themselves matched up with any of the six remaining teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Flyers had their choice, I’m sure they would have selected the New Jersey Devils or Florida Panthers. The Rangers and Senators both had hot goaltenders, as did the Washington Capitals. The Flyers potent offense could overcome a hot goaltender, but overcoming a hot goalie while overcoming your own lousy goalie is a daunting task. And even though Tim Thomas of the Bruins wasn’t at his best, his play was still leaps and bounds above Ilya Bryzgalov’s.

In the Devils, the Flyers find themselves facing a legendary goalie that struggled and often looked out of whack in round one against Florida (though not as out of whack as Bryzgalov). At this point, it’s painfully clear Bryzgalov isn’t going to win the Flyers many games, if any at all. As a result, the Philadelphia offense will need to do the heavy lifting for the Flyers in order to reach the ultimate goal. While I can’t believe I’m saying this, Martin Brodeur makes that task slightly easier than Henrik Lundqvist or the inexplicably hot Braden Holtby would have. Though he wasn’t horrible, Brodeur’s play in Game 1 proved as much. As for the game…

After a week off, the Flyers understandably looked sluggish early. It’s unavoidable. Players can practice and prepare themselves mentally all they want, but it doesn’t translate to the ice because the level of intensity just cannot be simulated. The Devils were coming off an emotional rally from a three-games-to-two deficit against the Florida Panthers. New Jersey required no adjustment to the tempo of the game. Clearly, the Flyers did as they allowed the Devils to skate unchecked and win the majority of the battles for loose pucks. It wasn’t fun to watch but at the same time, these Flyers aren’t exactly fast starters, so not even Peter Laviolette was panicking. And while I’m sure Laviolette’s advice for his team during the 1^st intermission wasn’t appropriate for all ages, it certainly was effective as the Flyers once again erased an early deficit to grab a one goal lead led by none other than Mr. Playoffs, Danny Briere.

It’s been said the NHL Playoffs are a second season. For Briere, the playoffs were a welcomed opportunity to erase a forgettable and frustrating regular season. He hasn’t let that opportunity get away. It was Briere who ignited the Flyers 2012 playoff run by triggering the Flyers rally from an 0-3 deficit in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since then, only the magnificent Claude Giroux has scored as many postseason goals. Briere is also second in the NHL in postseason points behind, you guessed it, Claude Giroux.

On Sunday, it was Briere who knotted the score at one on a brilliant pass by Jakub Voracek. In the 3^rd period, it was Giroux’s unbelievable lazer over Brodeur’s shoulder that gave the Flyers a one goal lead. (Watch the replay. After he realized the puck was behind him, Brodeur flung around with a “who the **** shot that” look on his face.) After scoring the game-winning goal in overtime that wasn’t a game winning goal, Briere scored the actually game winning goal that delivered the same message to the Devils that the Flyers delivered to the Penguins just a few weeks ago; We won’t quit. No lead is safe. Good luck stopping us.

Goaltending Rules the West
The 8th seeded Kings knocked off the heavily favored Canucks, a team many believed would represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. The inexperienced St. Louis Blues sent the veteran San Jose Sharks home after another disappointing postseason. The Nashville Predators were dominant in disposing of the talented Detroit Red Wings. What do the Kings, Sharks, and Predators have in common? Goaltending. Great goaltending, in fact.

After losing Game 1 in double overtime, the Blues and their goalie tandem of Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak surrendered only five goals in the next four games. The Kings Jonathan Quick limited the Sedin twins and the top offense in the West to just eight goals in five games. In Games 4 and 5 of the Nashville-Detroit series, the Red Wings could muster only two goals against Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. Overall, the Kings, Blues, and Predators allowed less than two goals per game. Quick has the highest save percentage of playoff goaltenders with more than three starts (.953). Elliot has the lowest Goals Against Average of playoff goalies with more than three appearances (1.37).

While the scoreboard lights needed replacing in the Flyers-Penguins series, the Western Conference playoffs are keeping to the more traditional script of riding stellar goaltending to victory. With the Kings and Blues set to face off in round two, that trend should, and hopefully will, continue, because as exciting as back-and-forth scoring is, the NHL Playoffs are even better when goaltending is at its best.

Flyers (finally) finish off Penguins
I’ll admit I panicked. I started wondering where the Flyers 2012 playoff collapse would rank among the worst sporting moments of my life. (I settled on higher than the Eagles Super Bowl loss, but lower than Joe Carter’s bomb and the Eagles NFC Championship Game choke fests to the Bucs and Panthers.) Thankfully, though, the Flyers rallied and finished off the team many experts believed would go on to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The Flyers win in Game 6 should be attributed to outstanding defense. Unlike Games 2 through 5, the Flyers cleared every lose puck out of harm’s way. Whenever the Penguins charged into the Flyers zone, they were immediately met and challenged. The Flyers aggressively pursued the Pittsburgh puck handlers to prevent the dissection of the Philly defense, something the Penguins successfully did in Games 4 and 5. In fact, the only time the Flyers allowed a Penguin to fly into the Flyers zone unchallenged was on Evgeni Malkin’s goal in the 2^nd period. Other than that blown assignment, the Flyers defense was on point.

In fact, I think Peter Laviolette may have shown his young squad D3: The Mighty Ducks before Sunday’s game. To refresh your memory, in D3 the Ducks were taught to “clear the trash” from the front of their goal. No lose pucks, no rebounds. Block shots, protect your goaltender. The Flyers did just that in Game 6. While Ilya Bryzgalov’s performance was certainly an improvement, he still surrendered plenty of juicy rebounds that would have led to Pittsburgh goals had the Flyers defense not been so aggressive in “clearing the trash.” The Flyers blocked more shots in Game 6 than they had all series long, they were always the first to those juicy rebounds, and they outworked the Penguins on the defensive end for arguably the first time this series. It was exactly the type of performance the Flyers will need to advance further into the playoffs.

As enjoyable as it was to see two teams go back and forth and score an outrageous amount of goals, playoff hockey is still won by solid defense and great goaltending. If the Flyers were to meet the Bruins or Rangers in the next round, they won’t have the space and time to score like they did against Pittsburgh. The goals will be tougher to come by and protecting their end of the ice must be more of a priority, especially if Bryzgalov continues to look out of sorts.

Regardless, beating the top offensive team in the NHL is a great accomplishment for such a young team. The resiliency and determination of the Flyers and leaders like Claude Giroux and Danny Briere gives me hope the Flyers can make another deep playoff push similar to their run in 2010. And right now, even a matchup with the New York Rangers can’t diminish that hope.

Could the Top Seeds in the East All Fall?
Speaking of the Rangers, they’re one loss away from going home for the summer. And so are the Bruins. Of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference, only the surprising Florida Panthers have a lead in their quarterfinal series. It’s still very possible all four bottom seeds in the East advance to the Conference Semifinals, which would be great for the Flyers as they would then become the top seed and by default gain the home ice advantage. At the very least, though, we can only hope both the Capitals and Senators don’t blow a 3-2 series lead. If both do, and the Panthers hold on against the Devils, the Flyers will match up with the New York Rangers with a trip to the conference finals on the line. While this wouldn’t be ideal (considering the Flyers are 0-6 against the Rangers this season), I can’t say I wouldn’t relish the opportunity to watch the Flyers gain some retribution. After all, this is the playoffs. The records are wiped clean. The regular season is a distant memory. With a little more consistency from Bryzgalov, the Flyers have what it takes to win the Cup, regardless of which team stands in the way.

Even with a 3-0 series lead, it was unlikely the Flyers would walk all over the Penguins again. However, it was just as unlikely the Flyers would be the ones getting walked over. Unfortunately, that’s what happened. Philadelphia’s gruesome twosome of Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky allowed a combined 10 (TEN!!) goals and not only allowed the Penguins to hang around for a few more days, but also gave a talented team life.

Still, with a 3-1 series lead, this is no time for the Flyers or their fans to start panicking. Though, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about panicking. After all, if a team is to overcome an 0-3 deficit, the NHL is where it’ll happen. The Flyers know this better than anyone. Therefore, instead of panicking and having flashbacks to the Flyers surrendering a 3-1 series lead to the New Jersey Devils in 2000, let’s focus on what the Flyers need to improve in Game 5 and just pretend that Game 4 was a fluke. Because, really, that’s all it was, right? Right? RIGHT? … Oh crap.

First, and this is the most obvious, the Flyers need to find a solution between the pipes. Considering the Flyers have surrendered 3, 5, 4, and 10 goals in the first four games of this series, it’s a miracle they’re up three games to one.

Goalies are going to have bad games though, even in the playoffs. What concerns me most is that Bryzgalov has been sluggish and aloof since the end of Game 1. I watched the Canucks beat the Kings last night and was amazed how bad Bryzgalov looked compared to Corey Schneider and Jonathan Quick. Both Schneider and Quick bailed out their teams on multiple occasions. Even in defeat, Quick at least gave his team a fighting chance with one great save after another. For the Canucks, it was Schneider that made the biggest play of the game. With Vancouver on a power play, Kings captain Dustin Brown escaped on a shorthanded breakaway. Brown was tripped and awarded a penalty shot. Schneider came up roses and kept Vancouver up 2-1. Seconds later, Vancouver scored on the power play to extend it’s lead to 3-1 and clinch its first win of the series. A goalie swung that game. Imagine that.

Currently, the Flyers are getting zilch from their goalies, and nothing is more deflating than knowing your goalie can’t keep the puck out of the net. Although the Flyers have proven they can close out the Penguins without solid goaltending, they’re going to need a reliable option in net sooner or later if they hope to be around in May. Wednesday’s effort by Philadelphia’s goalies was summed up perfectly by my friend Jared; “I miss Garth Snow” … and that’s never a good thing.

Second, the Flyers need to help their goalies. While the Penguins scored plenty of soft goals, the Flyers defensemen didn’t exactly make the Penguins earn anything, either. I stopped screaming, “put a body on him” after the 328^th time no one listened. The Flyers continually allowed the Penguins to skate unchallenged through the blue line and then sat back and let them pick apart the defense.  What happened to the aggressive style of play that forced Pittsburgh into mistakes in the first three games? Did the NHL pay the Flyers to extend the series? Needless to say, I’m perplexed by the Flyers effort.

Games 1 through 3 proved the Flyers could rattle Pittsburgh’s stars by making them work for space. Nothing came free. Philadelphia’s defensemen challenged every pass, protected the blue line, and fought for every lose puck in the corners. On Wednesday, the Flyers sat in a cocoon in front of Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky and dared the Penguins to shoot. When you give offensive superstars like the Penguins room to operate and create scoring chances, you’re going to get burned. The Flyers got burned, and badly. While it’s certainly easy to point at the goalies and blame them for Game 4’s embarrassing blowout, the entire roster deserves a share of that humble pie for such a lackluster defensive effort.

Finally, the Flyers must play with urgency. Unless you’re playing the Charlotte Bobcats or you’re a baseball team, you can’t win without urgency. After scoring early in Game 4, the Flyers relaxed. When they failed to generate any scoring chances on their second power play, the Flyers essentially handed the Penguins momentum. Pittsburgh took advantage and took a 2-1 lead before their own stupid penalties gift-wrapped Philadelphia consecutive power plays on which they regained a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the Penguins transitioned to disciplined hockey and allowed the Flyers to make the foolish, irresponsible, and cowardly plays that dogged the Penguins in Game 3. The result? The Penguins outscored the Flyers 8-0 the rest of the way.

It’s only one loss in a seven game series, so this isn’t time to call the Flyers choke artists or believe they can’t bounce back. With that said, let’s hope the Flyers realized the NHL Playoffs don’t permit days off, because when you don’t bring it, you get beat by a touchdown.

If the Flyers don’t get their heads on straight and find that urgency that gave them an overwhelming edge in Games 1 through 3, they’ll find themselves back in Philadelphia for a Game 6 in which ALL the pressure will be on them. Then they’ll really understand the consequences of giving a talented team life.

First, let’s start by acknowledging the dirty little secret everyone has apparently ignored in all the excitement of this series: the goaltending is atrocious. Regardless of which team advances out of this series, they’ll end up going home in the next round unless their goalie removes his head from his butt.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s examine the exact moment the Penguins accepted that they couldn’t beat the Flyers.

There were just under eight minutes remaining in the 1^st period. Danny Briere had just scored his second goal of the period to give Philadelphia a 3-1 lead; a lead that came after the Flyers erased another early deficit. Trailing by two with over 45 minutes of game time remaining, the Penguins inexplicably got desperate. Toward the end of a fracas that was dying down, NHL superstar and world-class princess Sidney Crosby pushed a glove away from Jakub Voracek just as he leaned down to pick it up. More fights ensued. Crosby and Claude Giroux went fisticuffs and Kris Letang pummeled Kimmo Timonen. As someone who’s watched playoff hockey for my entire life, the Penguins actions were clear: We can’t beat you, so we’re going to take you off your game.

We’ve all seen it before. Sometimes, it even works. Shift a team’s focus to retribution and violence and they’ll lose sight of the things that made them so successful; discipline, hard work, capitalizing on opportunities. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with Pittsburgh’s approach.

However, it was too early for Pittsburgh to lose hope and get that desperate and here’s why: 1. The Flyers defense has been less than stellar throughout the series. More importantly, Ilya Bryzgalov has been downright awful. Anytime Pittsburgh gets the puck on net, Bryzgalov looks panicked and completely out of whack. He’s surrendered easy goals and made simple saves look complicated. At no point should Pittsburgh been worried about the Flyers running away with the game. Second, and most important of all, this Flyers team LIVES for the UFC style atmosphere. Why on earth would a finesse team like the Penguins ENCOURAGE the Flyers to engage in a chippy style of play… in Philadelphia no less? It’s absurd.

(In case you’ve never been to a Philadelphia sporting event or never lived in the Philadelphia sports culture, you should know there’s only one thing that gets a Philly crowd more revved up than winning; Violence. It’s true. When Flyers games get chippy, the crowd is at its best. When the Phillies clear the dugouts, The Bank rocks like it’s the World Series. The only time the 76ers get a raucous crowd is when elbows are flying and bodies are hitting the floor. And Eagle fans? They don’t even need the violence on the field to stir the pot. They provide their own in the stands. So again, the dumbest thing Pittsburgh did yesterday was invite the Flyers and 20,000 rabid fans to join them in a game of ice hockey – Broad Steet style.)

In addition to foolishly playing to Philadelphia’s strengths, the Penguins couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm. Each and every time the Penguins cut the Flyers lead back to a goal, the Flyers responded. When James Neal scored to make it 3-2, Matt Read scored 23 seconds later to bump the Flyers lead back to two. After Neal again cut the lead to one, Read scored less than four minutes later. And finally, after the Penguins trimmed the score to 5-4 on Jordan Staal’s score, Wayne Simmonds responded with 46 seconds left in the 2^nd period to regain a two goal lead. The Penguins never recovered after that. For every punch Pittsburgh landed, they were met with a more devastating counter punch. The Flyers figuratively and literally beat the life out of the Penguins in every facet of the game. When the Penguins found a little momentum, the Flyers squashed it.

In their failed and desperate attempts to get the Flyers off their game, the Penguins were the ones who lost focus, resorting to cowardly buffoonery instead. First came the cheap shot to the neck of Sean Couturier from Arron Asham. Then James Neal delivered a suspension-worthy hit against a defenseless Brayden Schenn. And finally, it was Craig Adams jumping Scottie Hartnell from behind while Hartnell was engaged in a wrestling match with Sidney Crosby. Seriously, nice job Pittsburgh. You redefined “gutless.”

Sunday’s Game 3 was the testiest game in what has propably been the Flyers testiest playoff series since Eric Lindros was mugged, beaten, and battered by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the ‘90’s. But what’s even more enjoyable than the excessive goal-scoring and the flying fists is that whatever the Penguins do in hopes of gaining an edge not only fails, but they find themselves getting beat in a different fashion as well. And at this point, I’m not even sure they know how badly they’ve been dominated.

Case in point: After Kris Letang finished beating down Kimmo Timonen (who is by no means a fighter), Letang was escorted off the ice but not before he looked at the Flyers crowd and put his index finger to his lips. Uhh, what? Someone needs to remind Mr. Letang he only won a minor battle in a war dominated by the Flyers. So shhhhh, Kris Letang. Shhhhh.

Other Thoughts:

1. I think the Flyers respond to Pittsburgh so well because they absolutely, unequivocally hate the Penguins. The Flyers are just as focused on making the Penguins suffer as they are on winning. It just so happens that completing one objective accomplishes the other.

2. As bad as Bryzgalov has been, he’s been relatively solid in the 3^rd period, surrendering only one goal in three games. Perhaps Bryzgalov is saving his best stuff for when he thinks his team really needs it? That makes complete sense, right? Right?

3. Perhaps my favorite moment from Game 3: Craig Berube coaching Wayne Simmonds on exactly how to handle James Neal after Neal took a run at Brayden Shenn. It was a terrific exchange and NBC did a great job of capturing it. Sadly, Berube wasn’t eligible to deliver the message himself.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) New York Rangers vs. (8) Ottawa Senators
Henrik Lundqvist is a superb goaltender. He’s been the Rangers best player all season and the anchor of the NHL’s premiere defense. Still, all of Lundqvist’s success hasn’t translated to playoff glory. He’s only won two playoff series throughout his entire career. Maybe that can be attributed to a poor supporting cast. Or, maybe he just doesn’t have that extra gear that Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, and Martin Brodeur had when they carried teams to Stanley Cup titles. What we know for sure is this: The Rangers are a team built for playoff success. They’re physical, tough, and play menacing defense. Having one of the NHL’s top four goaltenders only solidifies the Rangers as Cup contenders.

As for Ottawa, I’m optimistic they can compete. The Senators have a plethora of young talent. Sometimes young players don’t know they’re supposed to be intimidated by the playoffs. In this case, ignorance is indeed bliss. While the Rangers must deal with enormous pressure to make a deep playoff run, the Senators are playing with house money. Not only does that combination make for an exciting series, but it’s also a perfect brew for an upset. You see, I need Ottawa to win, because if they lose and the other top three seeds in the East move on, and the Flyers win, then the Flyers end up facing New York. Who, you know, finished 6-0 against the Flyers this season.

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Washington Capitals
Since they took over the NHL as Star A and Star B, I’ve always been an Alex Ovechkin fan and Sidney Crosby hater. That changed three years ago when I began hating both; Ovechkin because he continually underachieved in the biggest moments and became a total a-hole, and Crosby because, well, he’s Sidney Crosby. As a Flyers fan, watching the Capitals excel during the regular season only to disappear in the postseason was good fun. I even wrote about how the Capitals and Ovechkin didn’t understand winning. But now, it’s no longer fun watching Ovechkin struggle. He’s too talented and too important to the NHL to flirt with irrelevancy. I can only hope something clicks for Ovechkin and he finally transforms into the franchise superstar he was earlier in his career and not the disinterested prima donna he’s become. Most importantly of all, I’d enjoy seeing Boston fans suffer.

Though, in reality, the Bruins are too good to let a lesser team like Washington remove them from the postseason. While it hasn’t been a smooth season for Boston, they deserve a ton of credit for another impressive effort. Defending a title is never easy. You always get your opponent’s best effort. Add that to the controversy surrounding how the Bruins celebrated winning the Cup and the Tim Thomas/White House drama, and it’s borderline amazing the Bruins finished with over a 100 points. The Bruins are an under-the-radar threat to repeat. Never count out a team that’s already overcome so much.

(3) Florida Panthers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils
Let’s play a numbers game. 10: The number of players I can name from each team. 24: Number of days until Martin Brodeur turns 40. (40!) 8: Dainius Zubrus’ number. I can’t tell you how much we argued over who got to be Zubrus when we played hockey as kids. 3: The number of times within a six year span my beloved Eric Lindros-led Flyers were eliminated from the playoffs by these two teams. 1: The number of times I’ve seen these teams play this season. So, before I say something totally ignorant, let’s just move on.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
I love the Flyers. No professional sports team was a bigger part of my childhood than the Flyers. Unfortunately, I’m trapped in a weird Bermuda Triangle situation where I only have access to a handful of games each year, so the playoffs are very, very important to me because I actually get to watch the Flyers play instead of listening on the radio or following them online from some crappy webcast.

Anyway, the Penguins are the princesses of the NHL. The Flyers are the ugly peasants with long, curly red hair. I love ugly peasants. I also love Wayne Simmonds, who is officially my new favorite NHL player. Since I haven’t had a favorite hockey player since Eric Lindros, this is a pretty big deal.

Also, if you played a drinking game during Game One of this series where you drank every time Evgeni Malkin’s name was mentioned, you’d probably have ended the game sober. As NBC noted during last night’s telecast; no team eliminates Malkin as well as the Philadelphia Flyers.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings
The Kings currently hold a special place in my heart for two reasons. 1. I love their uniforms. Crisp. Cool. Intimidating. They’re perfect for hockey. 2. The Kings are essentially the Flyers West. Justin Williams was one of my favorite Flyers growing up. His bobble head still sits in a box inside my closet. Although things never really panned out in Philly, he’s carved himself a successful career that includes a Stanley Cup in Carolina. For whatever reason, Williams still feels like a Flyer. Yes, probably only to me, but still a Flyer nonetheless.

Ahh yes, who can forget the disgraced castoffs. Despite an ugly divorce, I still really like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. While they were partly to blame for the team’s failures, they were unfairly made the scapegoats. Even without Richards and Carter, the Flyers still went through a similar midseason swoon in 2012 as they did in 2011. So, sorry boys for getting sunk with a ship you didn’t solely destroy. And Mike Richards: The Flyers especially owe you an apology for sullying your name after you gutted that 2010 team to the Stanley Cup Finals. “Gutted” is absolutely the wrong word there but it works. I know it does. Just trust me.

Moving on… I like the Kings chances here. Obviously, their victory in Game One helped me come to that conclusion. The Kings are an excellent defensive team facing a finesse Canucks team that has really struggled at times in the postseason. (Yes, I’m aware they came within a game of the Cup last year.)

The Canucks are unbelievably talented but also fragile. They’re the Penguins of the West. The postseason isn’t always kind to teams that can’t grind out wins like the Kings did on Wednesday. Facing one of the league’s top goaltenders won’t make it any easier for Vancouver. The always unpredictable Roberto Luongo between the pipes won’t do the Canucks many favors, either.

(2) St. Louis Blues vs. (7) San Jose Sharks
If the Blues could find a way to use both of their amazing goaltenders at the same time, they’d be the hands-down favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Sadly, hockey requires only one goalie at a time.

I know the sexy thing here is to jump on the Sharks bandwagon and use “experience” and “talent” as an excuse to pick San Jose, but I’m not buying. I can’t think of a team that underachieves more in the postseason than the San Jose Sharks. Weren’t they supposed to win the Cup for the past three or four seasons? And what do they have to show for it?  ..…  That’s what I thought. I believe in the Blues, Ken Hitchcock, and Ken Hitchcock’s quadruple chin.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (6) Chicago Blackhawks
People liked to make a big deal about how Chicago and Detroit should finish off the regular season in a fashion that would match them up with the Coyotes. Tanking to play a specific opponent never makes sense to me. Not only does it show your lack of confidence, but it also motivates the team you’re hoping to play. Thankfully, that didn’t happen here. The Red Wings finished strong enough to clinch the 5^th seed and the Blackhawks got the Coyotes.

This just in: Outside of the Devils, who rode a six game winning streak into the postseason, the Coyotes were the NHL’s hottest team down the stretch, finishing 7-1-2 in their last ten. Do they choke in the playoffs almost every year? Pretty much. Is there any one thing they do so well that scares the opposition? Nope. Will the Blackhawks advance to the 2^nd round? Yes. Did I just waste 31 seconds of your time pretending I had something valuable to offer? Yep.

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Outside of Flyers/Penguins, this is my favorite series. First, Carrie Underwood is likely to be in attendance for at least one of Nashville’s home games, so that’s always a plus. Second, the Nashville crowd seems a little crazier/intense than other southern cities with an NHL team. A good crowd cannot be overstated. And let’s not forget about those ridiculously weird yellow jerseys. Third, the Red Wings nearly stole Game One by scoring late in the 3^rd period and coming within inches of tying the game in the final minutes. And that wasn’t even the best part. The best part was that moment right after Game One ended when you felt the series escalate to the next level. Here’s what happened…

Nashville captain, Shea Weber went WWE on Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg. Weber not only deliberately punch Zetterberg in the back of the head, but he followed it up by placing both hands around Zetterberg’s head and slamming it full force into the boards. Did the NHL suspend Weber? Nah. Who cares if a dude just went Macho Man Randy Savage on a defenseless player.

Although the NHL dropped the ball in punishing Weber, it’s the fans who come out victorious. Since the league didn’t handle the situation, the Wings undoubtedly will. On ice retribution is one of many reasons playoff hockey is so mesmerizing. In only one game, this series went from a competitive, exciting playoff series to a flat-out grudge match. How do I know this? Because I haven’t missed an NHL postseason since I was nine years old. You learn to recognize these things.

In the understatement of the season, the Flyers came out tentative and flat while the Penguins skated circles around them. The Flyers appeared nervous, uneasy, and unprepared. Then, after a first period intermission that couldn’t have come at a better time, the Flyers finally relaxed and settled into a groove. More importantly, the Flyers stayed the course.

Anyone who’s followed the Flyers this season knows a deficit to this team is simply a reason to try harder. The Flyers already erased multiple goal deficits on two separate occasions against Pittsburgh within the last month. While the unfortunate habit of starting slow should be addressed and avoided at all cost, quitting just isn’t in this team’s DNA. For that, I credit Peter Laviolette.

Laviolette is a player’s coach. Not a player’s coach in the way many would assume, though. He doesn’t coddle his players, nor does he manage his locker room like a country club. No, Laviolette is a player’s coach because he’s passionate and feisty. He never shies away from letting an opposing player or coach know how he feels. He continually challenges his team and produces results. His players respond to him and they did so again on Wednesday night as they clawed their way back from a three goal hole to take a 1-0 series lead.

The comeback started with Ilya Bryzgalov who didn’t curl into a ball and die after a dreadful first period. When the Flyers first signed Bryzgalov, my brother (a Red Wings fan) warned me Bryzgalov was hardly a “carry his team to a Stanley Cup” playoff goaltender. After a bumpy first season in Philadelphia I could see what my brother was referencing. Wednesday night’s first period only cemented my brother’s point. Yet, despite allowing three goals in the first 20 minutes, Bryzgalov remained focused. As the game continued his play improved. In fact, Bryzgalov was lights out the rest of the way. His crucial saves kept the Flyers alive and were the most important factor in the comeback.

And how about Danny Briere? If there’s anyone Flyers fans love to nitpick throughout the regular season, it’s Briere. “He’s soft”, “he’s lazy”; the list goes on and on. While I don’t believe either of those arguments to be true, it’s clear Briere is a clutch performer. When the moments matter most, Briere is as reliable as they come. Two years ago he was arguably the Flyers best player on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Last season, he carried the team past Buffalo in the first round. On Wednesday night, he flipped the switch on the Flyers postseason and ignited a four goal rally by scoring the Flyers first two goals, both on hustle plays.

The Flyers younger players and rookies deserve a lot of credit for Wednesday’s victory as well. Their energy and stellar play throughout the season has given this Flyers team an unexpected boost and at times a much-needed kick in the rear. Yes, they make mistakes and show their inexperience, but what they lack in experience they make up for with hustle and determination. That same hustle and determination defines this entire team. While the Penguins possess more skill and bigger names, they lack the most important ingredient to playoff success; grit.

The Penguins couldn’t close out a three goal lead because they aren’t tough enough. When they had the Flyers on their heels, the Penguins couldn’t deliver the knockout blow. Instead, they allowed the Flyers to hang around and gain momentum with each faceoff win, each check, and each scoring chance. The momentum finally flipped when the Flyers dominated a Pittsburgh power play early in the 2^nd and nearly scored shorthanded. From there, the Flyers were faster, tougher, and more determined. They won the battles in the corner, crashed the net harder, and outworked the Penguins in every facet of the game.

Fittingly, the Flyers have a post-victory ritual that includes Mac Miller’s song, Knock Knock. The lyrics include the following:

“1,2,3,4 some crazy-a** kids come and knocked up on your door so let em in, let em in, let em in”

The Flyers are those pesky, crazy, annoying kids that won’t leave you alone. If you don’t put them away, they’ll be back at your front door until you “let em in.” No team knows this better than the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While it’s only one game, winning game one of a seven game series drastically improves the chances of winning a series, especially when you flip the home ice advantage. Of course, erasing a three goal deficit against a mentally soft team doesn’t hurt those chances, either.

Not since the days of Igor Ulanov’s Lightning, Scott Mellanby’s Panthers, Matthew Barnaby’s Sabres, and Scott Stevens’ Devils have I been more excited to see a Flyers team pummel a playoff opponent.

Obviously, regardless of opponent, the NHL playoffs always provide the most physical, passionate, and intense atmosphere in sports, but when you put two teams that already hate each other into an oval and tell them to play until a team wins four times, you’re going to get fireworks. Or, in this case, dynamite.

The closing minutes of Sunday’s regular season clash set the stage for a grueling playoff war. Coaches screaming across benches, cheap shots, late hits, finger pointing, fights; we saw it all. Sunday’s final seconds were about two teams trying to ensure their message was sent loud and clear.

For the Flyers, it was was about resiliency and domination. They’ve owned the Penguins this season and especially in Pittsburgh dating back to 2010 (5-0). In the team’s last two meetings, the Flyers erased two goal deficits to win. More importantly, they’ve dominated the 3^rd period from every standpoint; scoring, physicality, mental fortitude. Even goaltending favors the Flyers at this point. They have the Penguins on their heels and both sides know it.

For the Penguins, Sunday’s closing shenanigans were about desperation, trying to prove to a Flyers team that has bullied them in two consecutive 3^rd periods that they can’t be pushed around. While it wasn’t a cheap shot that leveled Danny Briere, it was undoubtedly calculated. Pittsburgh put its 4^th line on the ice with less than 90 seconds remaining – a line that hadn’t played the previous 12 minutes. Briere is now injured and out indefinitely.

Anyone who knows hockey knows what a coach’s intentions are when he puts his 4^th line on the ice in a game that has already been decided. Was it wrong? Not at all, especially after the cross check on Sydney Crosby just a few minutes earlier. Pittsburgh’s coach, Dan Bylsma, felt the need to protect his star player, and rightfully so. Similarly, Peter Laviolette had every right to want (and try) to rip Bylsma’s face off and throw him from the bench.

I watched the game with my brother-in-law and mentioned that Laviolette needed to insert his goons in order to protect his stars when there were more than four minutes left. I’d seen Evgeni Malkin continually use his glove to exfoliate the face of several Flyers and knew exactly where the game was headed. Instead, Laviolette sent out his usual lines to close out the game and avoid a brouhaha. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. It happens. It will only make the playoffs that much more intriguing.

As we’ve witnessed over the last two weeks, the Flyers are fully capable of eliminating the flashier Penguins from the postseason. What the Flyers lack in big names and gaudy numbers they make up for with heart, resiliency, and attitude. If you think Pittsburgh’s attempts to rattle the Flyers in those final seconds worked, take a look at Scottie Hartnell. With 20,000+ fans throwing debris and wishing they could rip his hair out, Hartnell calmly mocked the Hulk Hogan look-alike seated right behind the Flyers bench with Hogan’s famous hand-to-ear routine.

The moment had nothing to do with the game or the outcome, but it painted a very clear picture for the Penguins and their fans; “Do whatever you gotta do. We’re not scared. We own you.” Hopefully, three weeks from today, that picture will be just as clear.

I had seen enough. After again reshaping their roster and adding a new goaltender, the Flyers were still the same team; defensively disabled and goalie-less.

Then, March rolled around. The Flyers won five in a row, seven of eight, and finished off an 8-1-1 10 game stretch by defeating the recently untouchable Pittsburgh Penguins in dramatic fashion. Most importantly, Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov finally resembled the player brought in from Phoenix after signing a lucrative deal in the offseason. Could it be? Could the Flyers be Stanley Cup contenders again?

Absolutely, and for many reasons, but none bigger than Bryzgalov.

As any Flyers fan can attest, the Flyers have struggled (i.e. drafted poorly, dished out bad contracts, signed aging veterans) to find a reliable goaltender since the days of Ron Hextall. “Struggled” is putting it nicely. The organization hasn’t found anything close to a franchise goaltender in two decades. Look back at the Flyers most impressive playoff runs in recent years and you’ll see they’re paired with totally unexpected and shocking runs by a goaltender that failed to carry that playoff success over to the next season (Brian Boucher 2000, Robert Esche 2004, Marty Biron 2008, Brian Boucher/Michael Leighton 2010). Type “fluke” into your Google search bar and pictures of a Philadelphia goalie’s playoff run will greet you.

(Quick tangent: I’m still amazed the Flyers organization continually band-aided the single most important position in hockey. It’s equivalent to building a contender in the NFL and then adding Rex Grossman to be your quarterback, or signing A.J. Burnett to be your ace [oh wait, the Yankees actually tried that.])

I thought/hoped the years of uncertainty in goal would change this season after the Flyers dished out the funds to a proven, elite goaltender that wasn’t a few years from joining the AARP. Bryzgalov was a huge addition to what many believed was already a solid contender in the East. Everything pointed to another run at Lord Stanley’s elusive Cup until Bryzgalov fell off the wagon, was benched for the NHL’s Winter Classic, and struggled on and off the ice as his relationship with Peter Laviolette deteriorated. Thankfully, Bryzgalov fought his way out of his funk, out of Laviolette’s doghouse, and established himself as the team’s top goalie heading into the last month of the season. In his last eight outings, Bryzgalov posted four shutouts, hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a game, and his save percentage never dipped below .935.

For comparison, his save percentage was higher than .935 only 10 times in his previous 28 appearances and he allowed more than two goals in 13 of those appearances including four or more goals 10 times. In other words, it’s been a rough transition year for the Russian Philosopher.

Assuming Bryzgalov’s recent success isn’t a fluke, he elevates the Flyers back to legitimate Cup contenders. Philadelphia boasts one of the NHL’s premiere offensive attacks. They rank first in goals per game and 5^th in power play percentage. It’s on the defensive side where the Flyers struggle. Bryzgalov’s stellar play more than makes up for the Flyers defensive deficiencies. If this were basketball, he’d be the Flyers “eraser.” When on his game, Bryzgalov eliminates the weaknesses/mistakes of the defenders in front of him.

Playoff hockey is ruled by hot goaltenders. Find one, and you’ll find yourself flirting with a championship. Let’s hope the Flyers first franchise goaltender in years doesn’t cool off before the playoff intensity heats up.

You can’t win without a goalie
Shocking, right? Or, as my wife would say, “I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from that surprise.” I mean, it’s only been the single most obvious playoff fact for the past century. And amazingly, the Flyers continually ignore it. Or so it appears.

Ron Hextall, yes that Ron Hextall, was the last franchise goaltender the Flyers had between the pipes. Since then, the Flyers have put John Vanbiesbrouck, Roman Cechmanek, Garth Snow, Brian Boucher, Robert Esche, Brian Boucher again, and 700 other goalies in net. None have stuck. The Flyers failure to find a franchise goaltender is equivalent to the Eagles failure to give McNabb a wide receiver for the first decade of his career, except multiplied by ten. You can find a way to win without a wide receiver. You can’t win without a goalie. In 10 2011 playoff games, the Flyers yanked their goalie in six of them. (Queue the Joker emphatically mouthing “Siiiiiiix?”) That’s unheard of. As Tony Kornheiser pointed out on PTI the other day, if you have three goaltenders, you have none.

What’s so frustrating about Philadelphia’s struggles in net is that nothing has been done in the past quarter of a century to address the problem. Ok, maybe that’s not totally true. The organization has tried. Unfortunately, they’ve failed. Every time. It’s still the Flyers fault, though. To fail so frequently at the most important position is inexcusable. A hot goaltender can single-handedly drag a team to a title. No other position in any other sport can make that claim.

If you think I’m overstating the position, watch the Flyers next (and probably final) playoff game on Friday night. The goaltending has been atrocious. Brian Boucher came into a must win Game 3 unfocused and allowed two goals in the first 65 seconds as a result. (His second, “I’ll play the first five minutes like I’m tripping on Shrooms,” performance of the 2011 Playoffs.) On top of that, most of the goals he’s allowed have been relatively soft goals. Even worse, I can’t remember one fantastic save he’s made in the postseason. At some point, a good playoff team steals a win because its goalie stood on his head for 60 minutes. The Flyer goaltenders have done the opposite, making it nearly impossible for the team to win without playing a perfect game.

Many have criticized the Philadelphia defense for the team’s struggles. While this is understandable, I don’t totally agree. Bad goaltending puts added pressure on a defense. It requires perfection. Naturally, the defensemen play a little tighter knowing any mistake could end up in the back of the net. Playing tentatively in the NHL playoffs is a recipe for disaster. Watch a defense with an outstanding goalie. That defense is aggressive, confident, and unafraid to make a big play. They know their goalie is there to cover their rear ends. The Flyers don’t have that luxury and it’s obviously taken its toll on the team. Knowing they can’t win a low scoring game wears on players over time. It’s why great offenses never win a World Series. Bad goaltending is a cancer. Amazingly, the Flyers survived it in round one. In round two, the cancer spread. It’s terminal. The Flyers have only a few days left.

Quick tangent: Why isn’t Sergei Bobrovsky starting? I know everyone likes to point to his age and inexperience, but umm, hello? We all knew the Flyers weren’t contending for the Cup after their late season swoon. Why not give “Bob” some playoff exposure? Sitting on the bench as Boucher lets pucks pass like a bouncer welcomes pretty girls at a club isn’t going to do much for Bobrovsky down the road. Put him in the game. Let him experience the pressure and intensity first hand. It’s not like Boucher is significantly better, anyway. In fact, it’s ridiculous that Boucher has been given so many opportunities while Bobrovsky was banished after one bad period in Game 2 against Buffalo. He should have been the goalie all along, even if he wasn’t going to carry them to the Stanley Cup. At least Bobrovsky has a future with the team. Boucher is an NHL nomad undoubtedly headed for a new home next season because he’s certainly no longer welcome in Philadelphia.

Fluke goals beat hot goaltending
As we just covered, goaltending is key in the NHL Playoffs. Smoking hot goaltenders are as big a part of playoff hockey as overtime marathons, referees swallowing their whistles (bravo by the way), and crowds harassing opposing net minders with cynical chants.

When facing a locked-in goaltender, it’s important for players to remember one thing; put the puck on net. Hot goaltenders are never, ever, ever beaten by highlight goals. It’s always a fluke. A weird deflection, a brain fart, a shot that shouldn’t have gone in, yet somehow, someway, found its way to the back of the net. It’s just the way it works. Throw it on goal from the blue line, or try to fire it off the goalie from behind the net. Just get the puck to the goal. Make the goalie work. Keep him on his toes. Eventually, his concentration will slip or even better, you’ll get lucky. The Nashville Predators finally solved Roberto Luongo after nearly 120 minutes of shutout hockey by throwing the puck off his left skate from behind the net. It wasn’t an amazing shot or the result of a crisp, cross-ice pass. It was simply a desperate attempt to tie the game in the closing seconds. Throw the puck on net and eventually, it will find a way in. It always does.

Teams that dominate overtime never win.
It’s a known fact. If your team is in overtime, and they’re generating scoring chance after scoring chance, just go to bed. Turn off the TV, hit the lights, and go to sleep. It’s over. Your team is finished. Controlling play and applying consistent pressure throughout the overtime period is a prelude to defeat. In the past week alone, the Flyers, Predators, and Red Wings controlled overtime periods before succumbing to what appeared to be the opponent’s first opportunity of the extra period.

I know it’s counter-intuitive to root for your team to be passive in overtime, but it may be your best option. Picture it this way: Remember the Street Fighter video game on Sega? As you assaulted your opponent, his/her health would slowly decline. NHL overtime hockey works the same way, only in reverse. With every scoring opportunity that doesn’t result in the game winning goal, the opponent’s power grows. Until finally, their power bar is full and what appeared to be one harmless shot on goal turns into the game winner. I’ve been watching the NHL Playoffs since the Flyers were on PRISM, rats decorated the ice in Florida, and Mark Recchi was on his first tour in Philadelphia. The rule hasn’t changed. Dominate overtime, go to sleep disappointed.

Don’t hitch your Stanley Cup wagon to Alexander Ovechkin
Washington D.C. lets out a collective sigh.